Covid-19 e os profissionais do transporte coletivo urbano público: representação social e estressores de Neuman

Abstract

The Covid-19 was recognized as a pandemic, and measures to reduce its transmission were recommended. Urban public transportation professionals were deemed essential to the population and remained exposed. The objective of the research is to analyze the representational constructs of urban public transportation professionals regarding Covid-19. The study was conducted in a municipality in Minas Gerais, using Social Representation Theory and Neuman's stressors. Data collection took place through recorded interviews from March to August 2022 in public places. Evocations were analyzed using the Ensemble de Programmes Pemettant L'Analysedes Evoctions software, similarity analysis using the Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires, and sociodemographic characterization using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A total of 198 professionals participated, predominantly male, with an average age of 38, married, white, Catholic, with an average of 9.67 years of education, and with children. The social representation of urban public transportation professionals regarding Covid-19 is characterized as a feeling of sadness when related to a highly fatal and highly transmissible disease, severe, and with complications. The social representation of Covid-19 prevention was the use of masks in daily work, related to other actions also meaningful, such as distancing, hand hygiene, alcohol use, vaccine reception, and cleaning vehicle surfaces. The social representation of Covid-19 transmission is mainly associated with coughing and sneezing, intensified during close contact with passengers, coworkers, money, and bus surfaces. Two main categories were identified: strategies and materials used by professionals and the repercussions of the pandemic on daily work and personal life. Social representations were classified as intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal stressors related to prevention, transmission, and disease impacts. The study emphasizes the need for further research on social representations with these professionals and the development of health actions to prevent stressors and harms related to Covid-19.